


Terrace

by bellasalmonella



Category: Terrace House (Japan TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-22 03:01:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30032019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellasalmonella/pseuds/bellasalmonella
Summary: lmao the coherent drabbles of a film major (if you were wondering why I often explain things so cinematically (well technically I'm a computing major but whatever lol) honesly feel free to ignore I probably won't even publish as I can only imagine the amount of spelling errors I'm going to make.





	1. Chapter 1

##  The day before 

It's finally happening. I remember watching Terrace House as a teen with my dad to learn Japanese. Fond blurry memories of laughter and judgement ring though my head, more like echos of a past life than my current reality. Right. This IS reality, I was chosen to be one of the members of the house. No matter how often I repeat positice affirmations to myself the thought never truly sets in. Still feels like an alternate reality. _I've been watching too much sci-fi. Snap out of it, Bella! Stop being so stressy. You have done all the photoshoots and pre-interviews and packed and told all your parents and organised the flight and transfered uni..._  
Fuck, I told myself that when I come to Terrace house I wouldn't be so stressy, I suppose that is hard to hide with diagnosed anxiety. I'm going to be optimistic and try my best. I have been thinking a lot about what type of person I want to be when I'm older. I think I've landed on someone who lights up the room with their positivity and always cheers people up when they are feeling bad even if I dont feel that well myself. I probably seem all high and mighty but I want to be that person to someone more than anything, and hopefully Terrace House will be my oppertunity to try and be that person to everyone. In the past, I've retracted into my shell, relied on my beauty to get by. I refuse to be boiled down to a pair of tits. _No matter what happens._ I was even called pesamistic by an ex! I wish him all teh best though, the new me doesn't hold grudges. Will I be able to do this for everyone? That isn't even a question, I'm determined to be this person. Now that I'm venting, I am so concerned about my university. I am leaving all my friends in London (not that I have loads but they are very dear to me) which was one of the hardest decisions I had to make when applying. To be honest, when I applied I never thought I would even make it to interviews. My japanese is not exactly native and I don't have a personality that sticks out. I didn't want to think about it, but what if they chose me for my looks? My friends told me that I should follow my dreams and move to japan for 6 months and transfer, which I appriciated. I know they probably wanted my to stay, I can see it in their faces. They could probably see the passion in my eyes when i talk about the memories of my distant father and me sharing green tea over Terrace House, what good friends I have. 

"You done packing? Everyone is... uh waiting downstairs to see you off." One of my best friends, Jenny says with a face like she just tasted spoiled milk while peeping round my door.  
"Oh, you know I don't like goodbyes. Yeah, I won't bother with the coats. It won't be that cold in Niponland, right?" I chirp with the warmest smile I can muster. I zip up my gigantic pink suitcase. This one is a 4 wheeler so I can sit on it if i get tired at the airport. The only reason I brought it was because as a tween I so badly wanted one but my other suitcase was still in good conditionso obviously my parents didn't get me a really expensive new one. Now I have my own money. I can do what I want, mum. best £40 I've ever spent. "Earth to Bella? Whym are you just standing there, bro," Jenny blurted out while her circular glasses nearly fall off her face with the amount of movement in her face. I didn't catch myself staring out the window thinking about suitcases. I take one last stare at the slightly run-down London skyline thought the window of our student accomedation, a smile growing on my face. I dismiss her chastising and haul my suitcase down the stairs with the help of some other housemates with similar looking bitter-sweet faces. "I... I think that's it guys, you know I hate goodbyes... but this isn't goodbye. I will see you all soon." I mumble sentimntally, a tear forming in my eye.  
"Yeah, when you get kicked out for having sex with all the Japanese men!" My especially sarcastic friend laughs and punches me gently in the arm. I can see what he is really trying ot say in his eyes. please come back. 

After everyone makes their teary goodbyes, me and Jenny are on our way to the airport. She kindly offered to drive me there. I will miss her but we are so close, I don't think any distance in the world could keep us from communicating. In the car ride to Gatwick airport, we disgus my expectations of Japanese men. Like we haven't had this conversation 1000 times already, it still excites me and she know it. "What is your type to a tee? Like if one of them lot had this personality you would pull out the wedding ring?" She questions. We really haven't spoken about my type specifically, so it kind of threw me off. I've never thought about what I want? "Ah fuck, Jenny. Probably the strong but silent type. Like you know in shojo manga when he is like quiet when they first speak but then he turns out to be interesting and smart? Yeah whatever that is." I ramble. I guess I do know exactly what I want from the sounds of it. That won't sound good to the public, maybe I should change it? Wait, aren't I supposed to be completely truthful? "Babe, stop overthinking. I can tell you are thinking about your type. Just go with the flow. It might change when you get there and you fall head over heels for the bad boy." she giggles and winks at me. I give her a disaproving nod and she changes the subject. Yeah, that's not happening. I've read way too many fanfics to want a badboy. We arrive at the airport. "I know you will be nervous but just try and relax and be yourself becuase they chose you for a reason, OK?" She tells me in her signature reassuring voice. "I'M GONNA WATCH EVERY SINGLE WEEK!" She screams as I round the corner of the airport security and she disapears into the crowd

I'm alone. With the whole world infront of me.

I consider turning around, but that thought leaves my mind just as quick as the thought that I haven't had lunch funnels into it. I wait in the airport cafe for a few hours because I arrive like 9 hours early, just in case. I grab a few things to eat, but I know how strict the japanese beauty standard is so I try to keep it *mostly* healthy snacks. Eventually, I board the plane to China. Yes, I got a transfer. I took whatever the producers gave me to be frank, it's business class; how could I refuse? The flight was long, about 11 hours, but I am very used to long flights so I could deal. I just watched anime and ate snacks. Bawled my eyes out at the end of Steins;gate, I hope I dont have sci-fi on the brain too much. There was some cute guys near me, all Chinese though, so I had to let go of my innocent fantasises about them. I landed in China safely and with no bumps. Beijing is so beautiful. Maybe I should come here more often. Adding it to the list. I only have a few hours and it's 5am so there isn't much I can do. I make the decision to stay near the airport because you can never be too safe. I window shop some clothes, the beautiful designer clothes in the shop windows coaxing me into the shops. I resist, continuing down the buisy roads of Beijing, the early morning rush of commuters and the students returning from presumably a night of partying. "Hello? Are you not from here? Want to come home with me?" I hear from the crowd in slightly broken english. Drunken men. Urg. "Aha. No, thankyou, sir." I chirp as kindly as I can muster on 5 hours of sleep.  
"C'mon beautiful, don't be a prude. I hear you foregners... put out?" He stumples through the crowd to me. I turn on my heels, gritting my teeth. Oof ok, I'm staying in my airport then. Just to clarify, I'm pretty sure every city has these drunken idiots, I just happened to find this one. "Late, late, late," I mumble to myself. I quickly go through security at the airport and run to the gate. I made it, I'm just being overdramatic. You are literally 30 minutes early, Bella. 

I board the plane with 0 snacks in hand and a frown on my face. Luckily, it is only a 3 hour flight. I watch a few episodes of Hunter x Hunter. It always cheers me up and I'm exhasted at this point, so I thought it would get me in the mood to be my happy-go-lucky self. It didn't really cheer my up, I can't stop thinking about that guy in Beijing. I think I'm just being overdramatic. Yep, supress it. The plane is nearing touchdown and I'm geting exponentially more nervous as my time to enter the house comes closer and closer. I try to rationalise my worries as they come up, I need to remember to be positive. What if people don't like you? They will like you. What if you forget japanese? You can speak fluent japanese, you will survive. Questions float in and out of my head like a stew, mixing together and bubbling over. Bathroom. I splash my face with the questionably clean water and look in the mirror. I smile. I will be fine. I go back to my seat and soon after, the plane touches down in Japan. Shivers run down my spine. it's finally happening...


	2. The day

I look at myself in the mirror while hastily doing my makeup. I try to do a kind of Japanese inspired makeup without being problematic. Pretty good for makeup done in the bathroom, might I boast. I also get changed into a midi-length skirt and one of those pretty blue tartan v neck jumpers with a white turtle neck. A long necklace and a lot of stone coloured rings to finish the lock off neatly. I forgot my coat. _Fuck_. My bubble-gum hair bounces as I walk through the station. I run my fingers through the curls nervously. I am so close. I prance down the airport, searching for the card with my name. Found it. A kind looking man was holding a sign with _my name_ on it. Now it feels real. He ushers me out of Narita airport and into his car. We have a small chat about where I'm going and what I want to be when I'm older. I don't really feel lucid at this point. It's real. We pull up to the gigantic Terrace House. My stop. I get out, fluff up my hair and take in the massive house. Seems to be 2 floors with white trimmings round the large, clean windows. The house is modern, but still looks lived in. The front garden is a neatly trimmed light green. The flowers around the edges of the garden sway gently and call to me. The pink and purple hues silently comforting me. I gather the courage to knock on the door. No one home. I guess I'm the first person. 

I walk in and production films my entrance sequence. I walk thought the small entrance corridor which opens out to a huge open plan room painted clean white. On my right


End file.
